Rebel's, Rebelling against The Rebels
by Beavie
Summary: Gale after the rebels have taken over, gone to district 2 to stop a new rebellion, still protecting Katniss, even from a distance, but will he ever fix things with her and why does this new girl J hate him so much
1. Chapter 1

**This is an updated version, I've added more description to make it better. Hopefully it works! PLEASE REVIEW! (I'm going to do this with every chapter then keep writing)**

**Hi! This is my first fanfic, I hope you like it and I promise to finish it and update quickly. Please read and review!**

* * *

I watched her silently from the restless crowd, screaming and kicking. My name exploding out of her lips, begging me to do what was impossible.

I'd known what she was going to do the second she lifted her smooth black bow, maybe even before she did. I saw it in her cloudy grey eyes even from a distance. I knew her better than anyone and she knew me better than anyone else too. And I knew one more thing. I knew I'd lost her.

As she got dragged away I realised just how useless the two of us ever were as friends or anything more. We wouldn't and couldn't keep our promises to each other and everything we did ended up injuring both of us.

As the crowd started pushing and panicking I stood still and dreamt of those far away days we had spent in the woods, when everything was perfect because nothing was complicated. Hunting, the cool forest air bringing sounds of the free life in the woods, eating warm bread with the creamy goat's cheese smothered on top, a reaping present from… Prim.

A whole new wave of guilt washed over me as I replayed the scene in my head, of her rushing to help the children, the parachutes raining down, her getting murdered with them.

An ingenious idea that I came up with.

To be used on the enemy. I hoped that someone else had also thought of it and that it wasn't my idea that killed her. I also hoped that the capitol planes were actually piloted by people from the capitol. I hoped that it had never happened. But deep down I knew, I knew it was the rebels that killed her and that it was me that gave them the means to.

I turned away before Katniss was swallowed by the mansion and started wondering through the crowd, feeling lost. What else was left, I could no longer protect and aid Katniss, I wasn't needed to help fight for freedom, I wasn't even needed to feed my family anymore.

My feet took themselves along the paved streets of the Capitol, my mind too lost to be able to feel resentful and angry at the houses and the people who used to live there. I was on a street like any other street; pastel coloured houses, decorated, clean and sickening with cobbled roads that despite what they looked like actually had no uneven ground to possibly trip up anyone trotting around in heels.

Then from up ahead I saw a figure running towards me, a girl, definitely not someone from the Capitol. A rebel.

I stopped walking and let her run over to me, waiting. When she stopped the first thing I noticed was her annoyed expression. Then I noticed just how stunningly beautiful she was, she had dark brown, almost black hair, huge hazel eyes and tanned skin. If this was before I realised how much I loved Katniss I would definitely started flirting with her. However at the moment all I was thinking of is how I wished this was Katniss running up to me, saying she forgives me for everything and begging me to run away with her.

"Hey!" she shouted, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "I've been saying your name for like a minute, can you freaking answer!"

"Yeah, sorry…" I said, my voice came out normal despite what I was feeling. The girl rolled her eyes.

"You're Gale right? One of the rebels, Katniss' supposed cousin?" I nodded.

"You're needed in the presidents old mansion, I dunno who's it is now." And with that she turned and started running back the way she came. I stared after her, perplexed for a moment and wondering who she is. I then turned and started walking towards the mansion, not bothering to go fast or take the shortest route through the maze of wealth. I'd get there when I'd get there.

/

"Gale!" I heard someone call as I entered the mansion. I turned to my right to look down the pillared corridor filled with various artwork and flowers. There stood Plutarch, smiling at me despite the events Katniss had just caused. I sometimes wondered it this man had any true feelings, sure he joined the rebels but despite the smiles and sad expressions for show, I don't think I've ever seen him show any real emotion. But I guess you'd have to be like that if you were gamekeeper, planning how tributes got murdered, who or what kills them; a job impossible to someone who cares.

"Hi," I said.

"Gale, you're needed in 2 as soon as possible really, to help manage some small rebellions of those sympathetic with the Capitol." He said dramatically, whispering the last word. "Katniss' little stunt gave them a little more fuel, with the idea that she might be on their side, and we need someone experienced enough to manage it and that's you!" his voice raised a few pitches at the end, obviously more excited than me at my new job.

"When do I leave?" I asked.

"Well now, today if possible, there is the small matter of an election for the new president but I'm sure, one vote missing won't make all the difference," he paused. "And of course you might want to stay for Katniss' trial but…"

"No! I'll go today," I said, the more I thought about Katniss the more it hurt, maybe getting away from here would help.

Plutarch looked taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Well then, the train leaves in two hours, I'm sure you can find out how to get to the station…" he trailed off.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," I said then turned away from him and the fancy decorations and headed off to 2.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! I've updated this one too, which took a long time but it's loads better. Please tell me what you think! Whatever you think! I just want to know! And thank you to everyone who's reading to story!**

**This I the first proper chapter, the other one is a sort of prologue, which is why it was really short, I hope like it! Please read and review!**

* * *

Two weeks I'd now spent in 2, two weeks that I've spent silently watching Katniss' trial on the TV praying for the best outcome. Also whilst trying to manage the growing problem of the new kind of rebels here in 2. But this time I was on the side fighting against them not with.

The final outcome of her trial was released today and I watched the footage -on the small screen in my hut- of her being carted back to 12, the place I still thought of as home despite the fact I was permanently located here in 2, at least until the rebels had been managed. I breathed a shaky sigh of relief when I saw the result, not having truly realized before just how worried for her I was. Even though this 'new start' here in 2 was meant to be me moving on I had to make sure she was alright, I still had to protect her. I guess I was doing that by fighting these crazy Capitol rebels.

Which was what I was planning right now, sitting in the same room as I had not too long ago deciding how to "crack the nut". Lyme still works here as a new mayor of two, but I'm now in charge of protecting it.

Some idiot district two citizens and some people who had somehow managed to escape from the capitol had decided that Katniss killing Coin was not an act due to her being mentally ill, as the trial concluded it was. Nor did they believe it was and act to rid the country of another evil president, which I knew was the true reason.

No. These people had somehow managed to get it into their heads that Katniss had miraculously changed sides at the last minute -despite her being the trigger and the face of the rebellion- and actually supported the old system, thus shooting Coin instead of Snow to prevent the rebels from taking charge of the country.

And so they thought, seeing as they liked it better when Snow was in charge -because they'd had their comfortably cushy and pampered lives back then- they would lend Katniss a hand and start their own rebellion, here in district two.

And surprisingly, given their old cushy lifestyles, they had actually managed to do a heck of a lot of damage. Enough so that the people now living in and running the Capitol had to quickly decide who had enough experience, yet was also disposable enough to go and sort it out. So here I am.

And not only did I have experience I also had motivation. I hated these selfish, stuck up bastards. They are rebelling against the one good thing that has happened to this country in forever. How could anyone want it to go back to how it was before? How could anyone want the Hunger Games back?

So now I was sitting with my two best…well… soldiers out of the small group of ten that we had at this table focusing on plans for our attack on the rebels supposed head quarters this afternoon.

Blue prints of the building were strewn across the table with red crosses marking the entrances and exits to the building, of which there were only two apart from the tunnel that can be accessed from only inside the building, which itself is incredibly simple with only one big room and a small, what we presumed to be a storage area situated behind it. The tunnel connected to the building is how the rebels have been causing so much chaos. It's where they've have been planting their bombs underneath the city, yet is has no other entrances, that are known to anyone on our side and digging down to it where we think it is would alert the rebels to our knowledge of it. So for us only two entrances.

"Okay," I said, clapping my hands together, looking at the blueprints on the table then looking up at the two men in here with me. "You should both know exactly what we are doing by know so Yolko, tell me." Yolko, the taller of the two with short inky black hair nodded, his dark face showing determination.

"We spit into two groups. One, consisting of three people, which will be lead by you will attack the main entrance, using smoke bombs and noise to give the impression there are more of you." He paused looking at me for confirmation, I nodded at him to continue. "Okay then the other seven of us, lead by me and Duke," he nodded to the other man in this room, who really looked more like a boy, short, skinny, with a mess of blonde hair and eyes that contained a constant childish gleam, but had perfect aim with any weapon he was given, and a handy talent for escaping from tricky situations.

"We will go round to the other entrance and wait for the rebels to come running out, where we will capture them, to be taken in for questioning," he finished, and then sat back down resting his hands on the table.

I leant back in the chair and stretched my hands out behind my head. I smiled at the two of them, we were finally going to get somewhere today, in this crazy war against the Caprebel's, as this group were calling themselves.

"Good," I said, "and what happens if they are alerted to our presence at the other entrance?"

"We immediately attack from all sides and try to prevent any rebels from escaping down the tunnel, whilst capturing as many of them as possible," Duke replied smirking at my smile presumably.

I smiled back acknowledging his confidence. Today may be the first day I've felt happy since I've come to 2, whether it's because Katniss was safe or because today may be the day we finally dent the rebels armor, I had no idea. Today just felt better.

"Well," I said leaning forward so the front two legs of the chair rested on the floor. "Go get the rest of our group and get some food and meet me in the plaza at three," dismissing them. They both nodded then exited the room.

Then I, sinking back into my normal, serious self, shifted on my seat and looked at all the pieces of paper scattered on the table, I should go over the plans just one more time.

/

A few hours before I had arranged to meet the rest of my group for the attack on the rebel's headquarters, I went hunting in the almost deserted foothills of the mountains just outside of the city.

I had with me an old wooden bow that Katniss had given me back in district 12, it was incredibly beautiful and carefully made, by her father she had told me and it felt comfortable in my hands, although I did also miss the bows Beetee had made for me, maybe I'd ask him to send me one over, it may help me in my fight against the rebels here. I also carried with me in a plain canvas bag, slung over my shoulder a lot of wire and string to set up snares.

It took me only 10 minutes of trekking through the mountain scenery before I had found the perfect spot to set up a snare, right along a small trail, well used by the local wildlife. I quickly crouched down and started setting up the snare, my fingers quickly tying the familiar knots and pulling the small branches of the sapling next to the path into place. All the while I was listening out for other animals, or people creeping up behind me. Hunting in the woods, living in district twelve, then fighting for the rebels had drilled into me an unbreakable habit of constantly being on guard, constantly being ready to jump up and fight or run, depending on the situation.

My thoughts flicked back to Katniss again. My old hunting partner, who always had my back and would protect me as well as I protected her, those days with her were the few I'd ever had where I didn't feel the need so much to constantly be on edge.

It still hurt thinking about her, and right now I desperately wished she was here by my side because nothing felt complete without her. No matter what act I put on in front of the people here in two I was still lost inside, still barely able to deal with the pain of leaving her.

I'd finished the snare. I quickly wiped away the lone tear trailing down my cheek and put the equipment back in the back and started moving further along the trail to set up some others, whilst reminiscing the times I'd spent in the woods with Katniss.

I know that doing this didn't help my emotional state and I often felt even more weak and lost after going hunting, but I couldn't just forget her, I would rather die than do that, which may seem over the top but half of who I was, was built whilst being with her, so it's not something I could just leave behind.

After setting up all the snares I headed further away from the city to shoot some fresh meat, which I could bring back with me, all the time still thinking of Katniss. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was shocked that I was able to concentrate on hunting at the same time as all these memories and emotions were flooding my mind. On top of constantly listening and looking out for the slightest sign of a threat.

In the end I stumbled upon a flock of pigeon like birds that were pecking at the tough ground for worms or some other type of bug. I took one of them out immediately, the arrow whistling through the air and embedding itself directly in the birds heart was, killing it instantly. This caused the rest of the flock to immediately panic and fly away, but I managed to shoot two of these and they fell to the ground no more than 30 meters away, giving me three juicy pigeons to take back to the group for dinner. Had Katniss been with me, we could have gotten at least 10 of them between us, with her shooting at least six and me four, as I wouldn't be so depressed and distracted. But three would have to be enough. At least we'd all eat reasonably well tonight.

I quickly checked the snares on the way back, but there was nothing there. I didn't expect there to be, it had only been an hour. I sighed and turned towards the path that led back towards the city, I'd come back tomorrow and check again.

I dropped the pigeons off at the kitchen next to the circle of huts where my group and I lived. We had no cook like there was in district thirteen, meaning we had to make everything ourselves, but seeing as that was what everyone did prior to the rebellion and as it also made evenings occasionally more enjoyable we had no problem with it. I then jogged round to my hut where I picked up my gun, the smoke bombs and all the other equipment needed for the attack, which I had stored in my cupboard earlier on in the day. I then locked everything up and headed off to the plaza, to finally start this thing.

Before I reached the plaza I cleared my mind of anything to do with Katniss, I couldn't be distracted whilst we were doing this. We knew the rebels had weapons, powerful ones too, as we've found out by the number of buildings that they have simply exploded.

Being distracted here could lead to death. I also couldn't let my group see me like this, I needed to be the tough leader for them. I couldn't be depressed and constantly reminiscing the past.

I reached the plaza just before 3 o'clock and saw my whole group waiting in the little cramped alleyway, which was used both as a back yard and a rubbish dump for the people whose houses backed onto it. It was just off to the side of the plaza -we didn't met out in the open as it would immediately warn any rebels that might happen to be in the area that we were about to do something to hinder them, and we didn't want them to take any extra precautions against us, they already had enough-. My heart, having felt stone cold ever since I left the Capitol, warmed ever so slightly with pride as I saw my whole group standing ready and waiting for me, all dressed perfectly in everyday clothing so we could blend in as much as possible, they were honestly some of the best soldiers I'd seen. Now my heart felt only slightly cool.

"Everyone ready and knows what they're doing?" I asked even though I knew the answer, a good leader had to check.

"Yes Sir," they all replied. I nodded. Despite the fact we were all friends and laughed and joked with each other they never let that hinder the formality needed to complete this job. It was what I loved about them.

"Yolko, Duke!" I said. "Take your group and get into position, signal me when your there."

Seven of the ten broke off and started making their way through the cluttered alley towards the warehouse, acting casual as they walked out onto the street at the other end, their clothes slightly baggy, concealing their weapons.

"Kate, have you got the speakers?" I spun round to face the two people left with me.

"Yup, right here, boss," a short bouncy woman, with shoulder length brown hair said holding up what looked like a purse. Kate was from district three originally and was literally a genius, like Beetee who I worked with in district thirteen to think of… No I can't get depressed and distracted now.

"And Fri, you've got the fake G's," Fri, the other person left with me nodded. The fake G's were fake grenades, another genius invention of Kate's, which Fri had renamed fake G's after taking a liking to them, possibly because she had coloured them bright orange, a similar colour to his hair.

The fake G's made a heck of a lot of noise and released smoke and dust when they 'exploded' to make it appear as if a real grenade was actually going off, but minus the damage. The only reason we were not using real ones today was because we didn't want to risk setting off any bigger bombs the rebels may have at their head quarters.

"Okay, lets start moving!"

We set off, weaving through the network of district two's streets trying to act as casually as possible whenever people passed us. However we kept to the back streets as much as possible due to the smoke bombs and fake G's not being quite as well disguised as Kate's speakers in a purse.

We halted when we were a few streets away, lingering in a small passage between two large corrugated metal warehouses, waiting for the signal from the other group.

After 5 minutes of fiddling with the fake G's and my gun, making sure they were in the best position to reach them when we attacked, my earpiece cracked and I heard Yolko's deep voice come through:

"We're in place."

"Good," I replied, "get ready," I spoke into the small microphone attached to my shirt. I looked up at the other two. Off we go.

We reached the entrance to the warehouse and the many practices we'd had kicked in as I nodded to Kate, who without hesitation pressed her finger onto part of what looked like the zip on her, speaker/purse.

Suddenly the incredibly realistic sound of people shouting orders and marching boots exploded out of the purse, filling my ears and anyone else's near by. Me and Fri counted to ten in our heads then at exactly the same time, rammed our shoulders into the door of the warehouse and smashed it open. Then immediately righted ourselves and let loose the Smoke bombs and fake G's, with Kate's speakers pouring out the sound of machine guns firing on top of the booms from the bombs. The air filled with dust and smoke, blinding us but also blinding any rebels in the room. We held our real guns in position, ready to face any opponent who might suddenly appear out of the smoke. If I was a rebel in here I'd be pretty worried right now.

But while we stood there, the sounds faded into an eerie quiet. It wasn't long until the smoke had cleared and I squinted through what was left to see the inside of the warehouse. It was empty.

This definitely had been their headquarters I thought as I kicked an old, presumably empty weapons crate in frustration, which had fallen off a pile in a corner, and by the looks of them the rebels had a lot more than we thought.

Realizing what this could mean I quickly turned on my earpiece.

"Yolko, it's empty," I said looking round at the deserted room, "they knew we were coming," I finished into the microphone. At first nothing came back from the other end then I heard shouts, bangs and above that Yolko's voice.

"Gale, get the hell outta there!" came a panicked shout. I jerked my head back form shock. I've never in all the time I've known him, known Yolko to be scared. I hastily motioned for Kate and Fri to start heading towards the door.

"You need, to run, they caught us…" a thud and a gasp of pain sounded from Yolko's end.

"Yolko!" I shouted, then quietly waited for an answer, praying I would get one. I flinched as I heard more loud thuds and shouts on the other end, my earpiece was starting to crackle.

"Yolko!" I yelled this time.

"THEY'RE GONNA BLOW IT UP NOW! RUN IF YOU'RE STILL THERE!" Yolko's voice thundered into my ear almost bursting my eardrums, before the whole thing cut off into static.

"Run!" I screamed to an alarmed looking Kate and Fri then sprinted behind them out the broken door and down the street. There was near silence, the only sound was our boots pounding against the tarmac and our ragged breaths as we put as much distance as we could between the building and us. We were almost at the end of it when the sky light up with a bright orange boom.

I dived into a gap between two buildings grazing both my elbows and knees as the entire warehouse flew apart, the shock shaking the whole street and the boom deafening me. Shards of metal flew everywhere, shredding anything in their way. My grazed knees were nothing more than a paper cut; if I was out on the street I would have been dead by now.

My eyes widened and I suddenly ducked as a piece of shrapnel shot over my head, having rebounded off something in the street and embedded itself in the metal wall on my right.

I took shallow, shaky breaths and stayed flat on the ground until the shuddering and the flying spikes stopped and then I slowly eased my self up, checking my self for any injuries more severe than grazes. I was unable to hear a thing with my ears ringing too loudly.

I stumbled out on to the street to survey the damage there and was completely shocked. The entire warehouse and the two on either side had been reduced to almost nothing but rubble scattered on the street, all that was left was a bright orange blaze, destroying anything the bomb had managed to miss.

After getting over the initial shock I immediately snapped into soldier mode; I shouted down my microphone to Lyme, calling for her to get a fire fighting squad down here immediately before the whole street went up in flames. Then after getting a hurried reply I set off searching the street for signs of Kate and Fri.

I called out for them but doubted they would be able to hear if their ears were anything like mine. So instead I started making my way through the pieces of warehouse scattered across the street towards the gap between the next two buildings, which was where I prayed they had dived I was making my way around a large 2m chunk of metal wall that was curled and ragged at the edges, which were red hot and melting, when Kate emerged, stumbling -like I had- from a doorway, which was only about a foot deep. She seemed to be unharmed except for a shallow gash in her arm and I stared at her shocked for a moment; amazed she wasn't hanging off the end of a giant metal skewer right now.

She looked at me, reading my expression then shrugged and said something.

I shook my head and motioned towards my ears which were still ringing painfully, so I could only make out a really faint sound of her talking, not ones where I could understand the words.

She looked down glumly and nodded, understanding. She pointed to her own ears as if to say "me too".

"Fri," I mouthed. She nodded whilst frowning at the wreckage that was spewed across the street and we both continued following it towards the gap that I was heading for seconds ago, searching for Fri, my ears slowly clearing.

I wearily scanned the piles of shrapnel as we edged our way around it, praying I wouldn't see some part of him sticking out from underneath anything.

Eventually we reached the gap and I breathed a sigh of relief as I peered into the gloom and saw him alive, but not in great shape. His leg was disfigured due to a large piece of shrapnel that was poking out of it.

The corners of his mouth tilted up in what I thought was meant to be a smile but looked more like a grimace as he saw Kate and I making our way over to him. We didn't speak, knowing the other wouldn't be able to hear, but there was a distinguishable sense of relief and horror floating in the air as Kate and I gently lifted Fri. He winced as we moved him but I could tell he was trying to fight the pain as Kate and I managed to maneuver him round the chaos and carry him to the end of the street where we carefully set him down.

We both kept steeling nervous glances at Fri as we waited for a car to come and take him to the hospital. I was frankly amazed that he was still conscious especially with the amount of blood that was still –unfortunately- pouring out of the wound and was hoping that he wouldn't become the opposite before he got to the hospital.

The car finally arrived and the driver ordered Kate and I to get in too, so we could be taken to an emergency meeting with Lyme.

I spent the whole of the short journey sitting nervously on the edge of my seat, worrying about Fri and the others whilst trying to contact them; Yolko, Duke or any of the people that were in their group through my ear piece, only to be greeted with static every time.

"Do you think they're alive," mumbled Kate, looking solemnly out the window.

"I don't know," I said truthfully dropping my eyes to my hands that were loosely clasped, resting on my lap. I could think of no reason for the rebels to keep them alive, apart from to ask them how much they knew, which wasn't a lot. But I was hoping these rebels weren't quite as ruthless as they seem and that the group were being kept as prisoners somewhere.

"I don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

**This has finally been updated so I can keep writing it! please read and review**

* * *

**Hello again! 3 chapters already! Yay! Please review and tell me what you think! I don't mind if it's criticism! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

We arrived at the mayor's house after dropping Fri off at the hospital and being told that despite how horrendous his injury looked, he should be fine and make a full recovery. As soon as we stepped out the car we immediately got ushered through the great wooden doors and into a room on the right side of a long hallway. The room's walls were covered with screens showing footage of what just happened at the warehouse; the explosion, the wreckage, and now the firefighters working to prevent any further damage, not that the rebels hadn't already caused enough.

"What happened Hawthorn?" Lyme snapped at me as soon as the door closed behind us, drawing my attention away from the screens. I turned to face her piercing glare, trying not to be affected by it.

"They captured our first group and cleared the place out before the second group got there," I said gulping as I relived the moments in my head. "A soldier from the second group radioed me to warn me that the building was about to blow and we ran," I stopped wondering whether to continue, but Lyme remained silent. I quickly coughed then added:

"They have far more weapons and judging by the size of the place, people than we predicted. Also the weapons appear to be much more advanced than we thought too," I continued, pushing away thoughts of what had happened and trying to focus on getting the message that needed to be delivered to her across, in order to prevent a repeat of this again. "Had the original attack worked I'm afraid the results would probably be the same."

"What are you saying?" Lyme questioned, still staring at me.

"We don't have enough force!" Kate interjected angrily just as I was about to open my mouth, her eyebrows were pulled together and a deep frown was fixed upon her face. I quickly looked down at her and shook my head slightly to tell her to stop. I wanted Lyme to understand what Kate had said but growling at her wouldn't make her help us. Kate's frown deepened but she remained silent her lips pressed together into a thin line.

"Our numbers are too small," I said as calmly as I could looking up to meet Lyme's gaze. "We've got good soldiers but we need more to be able to counter the rebels and their weapons, which is a lot more than we ever predicted before," I paused. "If the ten of us had gone barging into that building, with all the rebels inside even with Grenades, machine guns, the whole lot, they would have run us all over in less than ten minutes," I gulped, trying not to imagine what could have happened. What did happen was already bad enough.

Lyme turned back to the screens, examining the footage.

"So you've only got two soldiers at the moment, one of which is injured," Lyme turned back to me.

I nod, trying again not to think of the ones who were captured and where they might be now.

"And you want more?" she said. I frowned, getting tired of her pointless questioning, she knew exactly what I wanted.

"Unless you want these rebels to destroy the city and then take over, we need more," I said bluntly, giving up the calm approach. There was a long pause.

"Fine," she finally broke the silence. I let out the breath I'd been holding. "You've got 50 more troops, they'll be at your huts in two hours."

"Thank you," I nodded at her then turned to follow Kate, who was already walking to the door, out the room.

"One moment Hawthorn!" Lyme called and I reluctantly pivoted to face her again.

"You're wanted to do a report for the TV, about the rebels here and how it's going. Make it positive," she said.

"There's nothing positive to say at the moment," I mumbled, also I didn't want to talk about it again. Lyme heard me and took a step closer.

"Then make it up, we need to always seem like we're winning," she snapped, and then sighed. "The TV crew is coming tomorrow morning, have something ready by then."

"Fine," I said then walked out the room, dreading tomorrow.

I found Kate waiting for me on the marble steps that lead up to the house, and no car at the bottom.

"Are we walking?" I asked.

"Yup, looks like it," she said, then bowed her head and started walking back to the huts. She seemed much more affected than me at the other's disappearance. Then I remembered she had known some of them since she was child, having grown up in the same district. Just like Katniss and I. I swallowed the lump that rose up in my throat as I imagined if one of them had been her. I wouldn't have waited for more troops there's no way I could have stood still for a minute with her being held prisoner or possibly dead, I would have gone off by myself to go and find her, and she would have done the same thing for me. Sometimes we could work as a team.

I sighed, pushing the thoughts of Katniss out of my brain and silently followed after Kate. Knowing from experience that it's better to be left alone.

/

When we got to our huts our new troops were waiting for us, nervously looking around. I stopped and surveyed them from a distance, frowning.

This was not good.

They were civilians, not even ones from two, which wouldn't be so bad, seeing as most of them had been trained for the hunger games their whole lives.

"What the…?" I heard Kate mutter from beside me.

These were civilians from districts like 8, 3, 5 and 12. All the districts where people weren't trained for battle.

I silently cursed under my breath and ran my hand through my hair dark hair, thinking about what to do.

"Set them to do the course, and see exactly how bad they really are," Kate suggested and I nodded quickly back to her then, wanting to get this over with, called out to them.

"Everyone run to the obstacle course, NOW!" I shouted putting on my leader voice again.

Once we were there I spilt them into groups of five and had them run the obstacle course together. Typically, only 2 out of the 5 actually managed to finish it and at least one of these two would be breathing so heavily afterwards that they'd have to go and lie down on one of the benches for a while. These people were nowhere near the soldiers I needed.

"D'you think Lyme's playing a joke on us?" Kate came over and asked after everyone had finished the course and was sitting on the grass, brushing mud off their clothes, or with their head between their knees trying to get their breath back.

"No,' I said, shaking my head at Lyme's stupidity. "She'd be a fool to do that, it's too dangerous for the rebels to get any advantage. I just think that this was all she could get."

"So what do we do?" Kate asked, sounding exasperated.

"We ask her if we can get in soldiers from other districts," I said.

"This lot were from other districts," I heard Kate mutter, under her breath.

"I mean soldiers from other districts not civilians."

"I know," she sighed. "So what do we do with them," she gestured to the people sitting on the grass around the obstacle course.

"Tell them to go home," I said simply. "I'll go and ask Lyme about new soldiers."

Kate nodded made her way over to the group and started calmly speaking to them, whilst I went into my hut.

I kicked off my boots the went over to the telephone hanging on the wall, which I still wasn't used to using after living my whole life with the only way to speak to someone being to go and see them, face to face.

I dialed Lyme's number and prepared myself for when she picks up.

"Hello?" came her voice down the other end, serious as always.

"It's Gale Hawthorn," I said.

"What do you want Hawthorn?"

"I need soldiers," I said, to tired to try to be kind and calm whilst asking for this.

"I sent you soldiers," I sat down and rested my head on my fist as I continued to talk to her.

"No, you sent me civilians, I need real, trained soldiers," I said emphasizing each individual word as much as I could. "Soldiers that can at the very least complete an obstacle course, this lot would probably get killed before we even got to any rebels. And if there aren't any soldiers in two I need them from the other districts."

There was silence on the other end.

"How many do you need?" I breathed a sigh of relief and brought my hand down from my face as I heard those words. I lent back into the chair.

"At least thirty," I said. "And I need them as soon as possible."

"I might be able to get them to you for tomorrow,' Lyme said.

"Before or after the TV crew are coming," I asked, suddenly remembering the horror that awaited me then.

"Probably after," she paused. "Is that all Hawthorn?"

"Yes," I said.

"Good luck," came her voice before she hung up.

I sat back in my chair and smiled, then quickly radioed Kate to tell her what's happening.

"That's great," she said. "All the others have gone home, they didn't seem too disappointed," I chuckled, I'm sure most of them were leaping for joy, now they didn't have to become soldiers and risk their lives and all that.

/

It was only Kate and I eating in our mini dining hall, shared with the group, tonight. It felt ten times emptier, with all the vacant seats, than it had already felt before without Katniss sitting by my side.

We'd cooked one of the pigeons I had shot earlier, having put the other two into the freezer.

We ate our food in silence the only sounds were our spoons clanking against the bottom of our bowls and the buzz from the light bulb hanging above us, Kate having fallen back into the same somber state that she'd been in when we were walking, worrying about who we'd left behind.

After we'd finished I got up and washed both of our dishes while Kate remained seated, with her elbows pressed against the table, her head in her hands.

I stopped and stood still, looking at her for a moment. She was letting the weight of being here, alive and uninjured whilst the others were out there possibly dead, get to her. I knew, because the same thing had happened to me, every time I watched the hunger games with not just Katniss there, but with every other district twelve tribute there has ever been, out there in the arena, fighting for their lives, whilst I was reasonably safe at home. But the worst time is still haunting me because it was my fault, and I'd loved this person as much as any member of my family. When Prim died.

I quickly shake my head and expel all thoughts of Prim or Katniss. It's bad enough having one depressed person at a time, have two and nothing functions.

"Come on Kate, you need to get some sleep," I said walking over to her and gently nudging her arm. She looked up at me and I saw the tear tracks running down her face. But I ignored them, just like I'd want her to do if it was me. I nudged her again and she slowly got to her feet. I followed her, matching her pace to the door. She grabbed the door handle and yanked it hard. It swung open, bringing in a blast of icy, mountain air. But she ignored it and stepped out into the frigid air.

I walked silently behind her, not sure whether to say anything. But when I reached my hut I felt I had to.

"Kate!" I called out. She turned her head, looking at me over her shoulder, tears still streaming down her face, just visible in the lights from the huts.

"Distractions help," I said, giving her the only piece of truthful advice I could.

She nodded silently at me then seemed to be turning away again when she suddenly burst into full-blown noisy sobbing. _I can't leave her like this, _I thought. And I walked over and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm…s…orr…sorry," she hiccupped into my chest.

"It's fine," I said. "They'll be fine," I added even though I didn't believe it.

"It's…it's just," she sniffed. "D…Duke's gone a…and I…m here…and…s'not…f…f…fair," she wailed.

"Shh," I whispered to her, gently rubbing her back. It was Duke that she was so worried about, I thought before that there might have been something going on between the two of them.

"Thank you," she whispered, so quietly I almost couldn't make it out.

"What?"

"Thank you, for before, for just treating me like normal, I didn't feel so weak, you know," she whispered.

"You're not weak," I mumbled.

She turned her head so her eyes locked with mine.

"Thank you," she said and suddenly she was kissing me. My mind didn't register what was happening first, and then suddenly Katniss was all I could think about and how it was when I kissed her.

I suddenly felt repulsed at what I was doing and pushed away, at the same time as Kate.

"I'm s…sorry, I didn't mean to…sorry…" she sobbed, then ran off to her hut, taking the sound of her tears with her.

I stood there for a minute, trying to process what had just happened. Did Kate like me like that? I thought she liked Duke. Or was she just upset and needed comfort?

I shook my head as I entered my hut and collapsed on to the bed not bothering to change, exhausted and depressed from the day, praying tomorrow would be better.

Why couldn't life be happy and simple instead of depressing and complicated?

/

Explosions! Me dropping parachutes unable to stop my hands from opening. Katniss! Explosions! Prim! Again and again and again. Explosions! Me dropping parachutes. Someone tapping on the plane window. Katniss! Explosions! Prim! Explosions! Me dropping parachutes. They're pounding on it now. Katniss! Explosions! Prim!

My eyes flew open leaving me gasping from my nightmares that came again and again every night.

I shook my head, the pounding not clearing. It was getting louder.

I groaned and pressed the heals of my palms against my eyes, willing it to clear, but it kept going, louder and louder.

I suddenly moved my hands away, the pounding wasn't in my head, it was real and coming from the door.

I reached for the light, flicked it on and went to the door.

I slid the bolt across and edged the door open slightly. A bruised scared face appeared. The eyes pleading for something, but no words came out the mouth. I didn't recognize it, it being caked in mud and blood.

Then it moved into the light from my hut and I gasped as I recognized the features.

"Duke?"


End file.
